Kenyan actress Serah Teshna Ndanu, who is based in London, has revealed the substantial amount of money she had to invest personally to set up her new film company, STN Productions (named after her initials), and its debut project, Bus 338.
The film premiered last week at the Battersea Power Station Cinema in London, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of Kenyan film enthusiasts and notable guests, including Serah’s husband, former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama. As well as Serah, the film stars Pascal Tokodi and Robert Agengo, who also attended the premiere.
Sera says Bus 338 was financed entirely from her own pocket — a bold leap of faith in a Kenyan film industry where independent filmmakers often have to bet on themselves.
“I can’t say it was a million-dollar project, but it meant parting with a significant amount of money that I might not get back. But I am content with it because it went towards something I’m passionate about,” she told Sinema Focus.
For Serah, the journey towards establishing her own production company has been both financial and deeply personal.
Despite her decade-long career, which includes standout performances in Igiza and Sumu La Penzi, she admits that her personal achievements are too often viewed through the lens of her relationship with her husband, Wanyama, one of Kenya’s most famous footballers.
“I honestly can’t wait for the day when women will be celebrated for their accomplishments without being asked ‘How did you do it?’, ‘Who did it for you?’ or ‘Show us how you got there’,” she adds.
Bus 338 is a gripping survival thriller centred on a long-distance bus ride that spirals into a high-stakes fight for survival.
With this project, Serah joins a new wave of Kenyan filmmakers who are daring to expand the country’s cinematic landscape beyond the comfort zone of telenovelas and light-hearted comedies, instead venturing into bold, genre-defying storytelling that mirrors the global film stage.
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